Best Practices Mentoring

8/3/2019 Best Practices Mentoring

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September 2008

Best Practices:

Mentoring


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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 2

Why Organizations Implement Mentoring Programs 2

Types of Mentors 4

Formal and Informal Mentoring Programs 4

Benefits of Mentoring for the Mentor 4

Benefits of Mentoring for the Protg 5

THINGS TO CONSIDER IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING 6

A FORMAL MENTORING PROGRAM 6

Developing a Mentoring Program 6

Implementing a Mentoring Program 9

OTHER TYPES OF MENTORING 15

APPENDIX A: KIRKPATRICK MODEL 17

RESOURCES FOR MENTORING 21


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Introduction

Mentoring is usually a formal or informal relationship between two peoplea senior

mentor (usually outside the protgs chain of supervision) and a junior protg.

Mentoring has been identified as an important influence in professional development inboth the public and private sector. Within the Federal government, mentoring is often a

component of different types of development, including comprehensive career

development programs like the Senior Executive Service Candidate DevelopmentProgram (SESCDP), the Executive Leadership Program (ELP) and the Presidential

Management Fellowship (PMF) Program. The major function of mentoring within these

programs is to promote the protgs development in specific areas and to facilitatesuccessful completion of the program. While these mentoring relationships can produce

positive developmental and organizational outcomes, both mentoring programs and

relationships sometimes fail due to a variety of causes and problems (e.g., lack ofparticipation, no leadership involvement, poor planning, unrealistic expectations, and

fuzzy goals). Successful mentoring programs require proper understanding, planning,implementation and evaluation.

In addition to the stand-alone benefits of mentoring, on October30, 2004, the Presidentsigned the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004, Public Law 108-411, into law.

The Act makes several significant changes in the law governing the training anddevelopment of Federal employees, supervisors, managers, and executives. One major

change requires agencies, in consultation with OPM, to provide training to managers on

mentoring employees. In collaboration with the Department of State, Department ofEnergy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, National

Aeronautics and Space Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and Corporation

for National and Community Service, noted for their innovative and effective mentoringprograms and best practices, we have developed this document as a tool to assist agencies

in creating a business case for mentoring and as an outline of the critical steps in

developing and implementing a formal mentoring program.

Why Organizations Implement Mentoring Programs

More and more organizations are creating formal mentoring programs for variousreasons. From increased morale to increased organizational productivity and career

development, the benefits of an organization that actively supports mentoring are

numerous. However, successful mentoring programs do not just happen. Organizationsmust first make a strong business case to demonstrate why the organization should devote

the time, attention and resources required to make a formal mentoring process work.Reasons for establishing a mentoring program must be linked to the organization's

business goals. For example, an agency forecasting tremendous growth in a specific job

series may want a mentoring program to help prepare high-potential employees for futuremanagerial positions in that series. Also, an organization planning a reorganization may

be interested in a mentoring program to help facilitate continuity of organizational


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performance.Listed below are some reasons why agencies choose to establish mentoringprograms.

As part of the Onboarding process -- mentoring helps new recruits, trainees orgraduates settle into the organization;

Skills Enhancement -- mentoring enables experienced, highly competent staff topass their expertise on to others who need to acquire specified skills; Professional Identity -- when younger employees are early in their careers, they

need help understanding what it means to be a professional in their workingenvironment. Professionals embody the values of the profession and are self-

initiating and self-regulating. Mentors play a key role in defining professional

behavior for new employees. This is most important when employees first enterthe federal workforce;

Career Development -- mentoring helps employees plan, develop, and managetheir careers. It also helps them become more resilient in times of change, more

self-reliant in their careers and more responsible as self-directed learners;

Leadership and Management Development -- mentoring encourages thedevelopment of leadership competencies. These competencies are often moreeasily gained through example, guided practice or experience than by education

and training;

Education Support -- mentoring helps bridge the gap between theory andpractice. Formal education and training is complemented by the knowledge andhands-on experience of a competent practitioner;

Organizational Development and Culture Change -- mentoring can helpcommunicate the values, vision and mission of the organization; a one-to-one

relationship can help employees understand the organizational culture and makeany necessary changes;

Customer Service -- mentoring assists in modeling desired behaviors,encouraging the development of competencies in support of customer service, and

above all, cultivating the right attitudes;

Staff retention -- mentoring provides an encouraging environment throughongoing interactions, coaching, teaching, and role modeling that facilitatesprogression within the organization; mentoring has been found to influence

employee retention because it helps establish an organizational culture that is

attractive to the top talent clamoring for growth opportunities. Mentoring is atangible way to show employees that they are valued and that the companys

future includes them;

Recruitment -- mentoringcan enhance recruitment goals by offering additionalincentives to prospective employees; and

Knowledge Management/Knowledge Transfer -- mentoring provides for theinterchange/exchange of information/knowledge between members of different

organizations.


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Types of Mentors

There are mainly four types of mentors:

Career Guide -- promotes development through career guidance, counseling andvisibility;

Information Source -- provides information about formal and informalexpectations;

Friend -- interacts with the protg socially and provides information aboutpeople; and

Intellectual Guide -- promotes an equal relationship, collaborates on researchprojects and provides constructive feedback and criticism.

When planning and developing mentoring programs, agencies must consider the types of

mentors and decide which type(s) of help will be most appropriate given the program

goals.

Formal and Informal Mentoring Programs

Formal mentoring programs are structured, have oversight, and have clear and specific

organizational goals. For example, some agencies, as part of their formal onboardingprocess, assign mentors or peer buddies to new hires as an information source allowing

new employees the opportunity to better navigate a new work environment. Unlike

formal mentoring, informal mentoring has minimal to no structure and oversight and may

or may not have a clear and specific goal. Informal mentoring is normally for

interpersonal enhancement, but can also promote career development. Nevertheless, thesuccess of either type of mentoring is greatly dependent upon clearly defined roles and

expectations in addition to the participants awareness of the benefits of participating inthe mentoring program.

Benefits of Mentoring for the Mentor

As a result of being a mentor, the person:

Renews their enthusiasm for the role of expert; Obtains a greater understanding of the barriers experienced at lower levels of the

organization;

Enhances skills in coaching, counseling, listening, and modeling; Develops and practices a more personal style of leadership; Demonstrates expertise and shares knowledge, and; Increases generational awareness.


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Benefits of Mentoring for the Protg

As a result of having a mentor, the employee:

Makes a smoother transition into the workforce; Furthers his/her development as a professional; Gains the capacity to translate values and strategies into productive actions; Complements ongoing formal study and/or training and development activities; Gains some career development opportunities; Develops new and/or different perspectives; Gets assistance with ideas; Demonstrates strengths and explores potential, and; Increases career networks and receives greater agency exposure.


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Things to Consider in Developing and Implementing

a Formal Mentoring Program

Because a mentoring program, either for career or interpersonal enhancement, is built onmutual trust and respect of the individuals involved, much care should be given to its

development and implementation. While organizational mentoring programs may take ondifferent shapes and structures, there are certain critical steps that must be considered by

any group embarking on establishing a mentoring program. Below are elements of

effective practice that have proven effective in a wide range of existing mentoringprograms throughout the Federal government. [Note: These activities are taken from bestpractices of current mentoring programs from Federal agencies, private sector, and from

secondary research.]

Developing a Mentoring Program

1. Conduct Needs AssessmentAny organization interested in developing a formal mentoring program needs to

create a business case and address why this program is needed, what the organization

hopes to gain, and what components the program should include. Needs Assessments

can be conducted by the agencys human resource office, training office, or a steeringcommittee/working group via on-line or paper surveys (e.g., organizational

assessment surveys and exit surveys), focus groups, and interviews with staff.

Statistical data from secondary research like, retirement trends, attrition rates,succession plans, knowledge management processes, and performance ratings can

also be used in the needs assessment. Depending upon the goal of the program and

the target group the audience can include new hires, junior employees, mid-levelemployees, managers, senior level experts, and senior leaders. Here are some sample

questions that can be included in a survey, focus group and/or interview:

If the agency were to develop and implement a formal mentoring program,how would you benefit?

Would you participate as a protg? Are you available to be a mentor? What specific knowledge, skills and abilities do you look for in a mentorand/or protg? Do you have access to mentors outside this agency? What kinds of activities would you like to see implemented in a mentoring

program?

Do you utilize other career development activities provided to employees? Ifso, how have you benefited from these activities?


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Do you believe the agency encourages a mentoring culture (e.g., creatingreadiness for mentoring within the organization, facilitating multiple

mentoring opportunities)?

Do you currently receive any type of mentoring? If so, are you getting anybenefits out of the mentoring relationship?

Do you have access to mentors in this agency?2. Develop a Mentoring Program RoadmapA mentoring program roadmap should include a business case, project plan, andimplementation plan. A roadmap should also include needs assessment findings,

project plans with key milestones, and the program description. The program

description should include:

The goal(s) of the mentoring program; Success factors and desired outcomes; Targeted population (e.g., all GS employees, specific occupations, new

employees, new SES members, new supervisors);

Duration of the program; How the agency plans to market and recruit mentors and protgs; Benefits to mentors and protgs; Benefits to the agency (e.g., increased morale, transfer of knowledge from one

employee to another);

Budget (include contractor cost if planning to use one); Matching process; Outline of the orientation session; Types of materials provided to mentors, protgs, and supervisors; and Potential mentoring and career development activities.

3. Gain Top Management Support and CommitmentA formal mentoring program will succeed only if senior leadership supports the

program and makes it part of the learning culture. It is best to identify a champion(preferably a senior leader) of the program who will play a major role in marketing

the program and recruiting mentors. Agencies currently operating successful formal

mentoring programs have support and commitment from leadership and management.Not only do these leaders pledge their support and commitment, they participate as

mentors. When senior leaders participate as mentors it shows a true commitment to

the program and will encourage agency employees to participate.

To help maintain commitment from senior leaders, it is advisable to ask senior

leadership to define a successful mentoring program. After senior leaders are ableto define a successful mentoring program, present them with continuous success

stories and best practices contributing to their definition of a successful mentoring


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program. When leadership and management see the program is successful, they willcontinue to support it and possibly provide more resources.

4. Commit a Program ManagerMost successful mentoring programs have a full-time employee dedicated tomanaging and administering the mentoring program. The program managers role iscrucial in making the program a success. The role of the program manager involves:

Working with the Steering Committee or Working Group (see #5) to assist indeveloping a needs assessment, building a business case, and implementingthe goals and objectives of the program;

Creating the roadmap (see #2); Developing and working with the budget; Working with a contractor/vendor if services are acquired; Marketing the program; Recruiting and following-up with mentors and protgs; Developing activities for the program including orientation, training

workshops, and the closing ceremony;

Maintaining a database on a pool of mentors and protgs, and mentoringpairs;

Sustaining relationships with mentors and protgs; and, Assisting with any problems that occur throughout the duration of the

program.

5. Create a Steering Committee or Working Group

A formal mentoring program is tied directly to the organizations leadership. Torepresent that leadership, a steering committee or working group should set the goals

and objectives of the mentoring program. This committee or group should consist of

representatives from different offices of the agency, not primarily from the humanresource or human capital office. The committee members should be committed to

creating a learning culture within the agency. The committee or working group

should establish a charter. The charter should contain the following:

The purpose of the committee or working group; List of members; Roles and responsibilities (includes hiring or designating a program

coordinator, reaching out to leadership and management for support andcommitment);

Tasks to complete (includes building a business case); Outcomes; and, Program evaluation.


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The committee or working group can also take the lead in conducting a needsassessment to establish a need for a mentoring program.

Implementing a Mentoring Program

1. Develop a Recruitment and Marketing Strategy

Communication is crucial in assuring a successful mentoring program. A good

marketing strategy will effectively advertise the program and help recruit mentors andprotgs. In addition to other challenges in communication, one of the biggest

challenges of a mentoring program is recruiting mentors. Oftentimes, employees who

could be potential mentors do not understand the value of participating in a mentoringprogram. To combat this problem, an agencys marketing strategy showcases

benefits to both mentors and protgs. Here are other strategies to recruit mentors

and protgs. [Note: Contact information should be clearly displayed on any

marketing materials]:

Develop brochures, flyers, and posters to distribute around the agency; Send an email from the champion (either the agency head or another senior

leader) asking for participants;

Post a message on the agencys intranet site advertising the program andasking for participants;

Conduct brown bags or career development sessions on the importance ofmentoring;

Ask for supervisors and office chiefs to advertise the program and encourageparticipation from their employees;

Work with organizational leaders to set a target number of protgs for eachsenior person to mentor 3 to 5 is considered a reasonable number;

Provide agency-wide feedback regarding the value of mentoring along withprogram results; and

Provide ongoing recognition of mentors.2. Match Mentors and ProtgsAgencies have found web-based mentoring tools as valuable in the mentor/protg

matching process. Web-based mentoring tools reduce the administrative and paperburden of matching mentors and protgs by electronically matching participants,

tracking meetings, and providing participants access to career development materials.A web-based tool also assists with:

Identifying competency strengths and opportunities for growth; Determining the goal(s) of the mentoring relationship; Determining preferences for a possible mentor (e.g. a mentor with similar

interests, mentor of the same race, ethnicity, or gender)


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Identifying choices for possible mentors (or protgs); Tracking dates and other mentoring activities; Accessing resources for additional learning needs; Conducting evaluations by sending an online evaluation to all participants;

and

Analyzing results from the evaluations and providing an overall report.Future directions for web-based mentoring tools include virtual mentoring meetings

and group mentoring activities. Paper-based matching requires the collection of biosfrom mentors. The protgs review the bios, and indicate their top choices (usually

two or three). The program coordinator then matches the protg with one of their

top choices, if possible. Protgs should be matched with mentors outside their office

or unit. Some protgs may prefer to be matched with their supervisors boss oranother senior manager in their chain of command; however, matching a protg with

a mentor within the same chain of command may cause conflict within the office or

unit.

It should be noted that sometimes mentoring relationships do not work. In such cases,

the program manager should intervene and explore whether the mentoring

relationship should be revised or terminated. In these cases there should be a processin place to amicably terminate the relationship and match the protg with another,

more suitable, mentor.

3. Conduct an Orientation ProgramThe orientation is a vehicle for matching pairs to get acquainted, establish a

mentoring agreement, and begin working on a mentoring action plan. Orientation is

usually a half to a full day. The orientation can include a workshop or session ontools and techniques to begin and enhance a mentoring relationship. Exercises during

the orientation should allow mentors and protgs to practice the tools and techniques

presented to them.

4. Develop an Instruction Guide for Mentors and ProtgsThe instruction guide for mentors and protgs should:

Define a mentoring relationship; Make clear roles and expectations; Recommend topics to cover at mentor/protg meetings; Present other ideas to enhance the mentoring relationship; Highlight the time commitment for both mentors and protgs; Highlight qualities a mentor and protg should either have before the

beginning of the relationship or work to improve during the relationship;

List critical skills and/or competencies for a successful mentoringrelationship; and


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Explain a successful mentoring relationship depends on the commitment tothe relationship and the participants understanding of their roles.

Instruction guides can include exercises for both mentors and protgs to build the

mentoring relationship and improve on critical interpersonal skills including listening,

negotiating, and providing constructive feedback. Some books, articles andorganizations in the Resources section below discuss critical skills and qualities of

both a mentor and protg.

5. Develop an Instruction Guides for SupervisorsIt is a good idea to develop a separate instruction guide for supervisors. Supervisors

can be critical to the success of a mentoring relationship. Without the support of the

supervisor, the mentor and protg may not have the opportunity to accomplish their

goals. The supervisor can suggest developmental goals to the pair and providecontinuous feedback to both the mentor and protg. This guide should include:

Time commitments from mentors and protgs; Benefits to the mentor and protg; Benefits to the supervisor; and The role of the supervisor during the program.

6. Conduct a PilotBefore an agency implements a full-blown mentoring program, it is suggested theagency begins with a pilot. A pilot does not need to have all the components listed

above but can be implemented piecemeal. For example, the first phase could include

the matching process, orientation, instruction guides, and evaluation. If the pilot issuccessful, the agency could add career development activities to the next phase. A

rigorous pilot should include a mechanism that allows continuous feedback and input.

Feedback can be received in numerous forms including:

Evaluation forms; Surveys; Interviews; Focus Groups; and Observations.

Once the pilot has been completed and all feedback and data have been collected, thedata should be presented to senior leadership along with lessons learned and

recommendations for improvement to the program. Once changes are made and theprogram is fully implemented, it is wise to continue to present results, best practices,

lessons learned, and further recommendations for improvement to senior leadership.

This is important in maintaining ongoing commitment and support for the program.


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7. Develop a Mentoring AgreementAgencies can allow mentors and protgs to develop their own mentoring agreements

or develop a standard mentoring agreement to use during the program. An agreementshould contain:

The roles, responsibilities, and expectations during the program duration for amentor and protg;

An action plan completion date; The number of times the mentor and protg will meet; A confidentiality clause; Termination of agreement rules, and; Signatures of both the mentor and protg.

This agreement can be included in ones Individual Development Plan (IDP). Some

of the goals and/or activities can be included in both the IDP and action plan.

8. Develop a Mentoring Action PlanAgencies with successful formal mentoring programs require the protgs to develop

a personal action plan or developmental plan (similar to an IDP). These plans includegoals and objectives, learning activities to accomplish the set goals and objectives,

and desired outcomes. Numerous web-based tools provide electronic mentoring

action plans as a convenience to mentors and protgs (see Organizations under theResources section).

9. Provide a List of Topics to DiscussTo assist mentors and protgs in their discussions, the program coordinator can

suggest periodic topics to discuss during the mentor and protgs meetings. Some

suggested topics are:

Managing conflict within the office or unit; Career progression; Networking; Influencing others; Managing politics in the office and organization; Newest trends in technology; Time management; Work/life balance; and Leadership development.

10.Provide Developmental ActivitiesMost successful mentoring programs offer numerous developmental opportunities to

participants. Some activities are:


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Career development seminars; Training activities that provide tools and techniques to maintain effective

mentoring relationships;

Networking events; and Guest speakers possible guest speakers can include community leaders,

clergy, school (teachers, students, and administrators), retirees and otherorganizations.

Mentors and protgs can attend these together, discuss what they learned and

develop a plan to implement the knowledge gained into their current and future work.

It may be difficult to get full or at least a large percentage of mentors and protgs toparticipate in these activities due to schedules and other work priorities so web based

activities like webinars may be more appropriate in some cases. Materials from

developmental activities should be made available to those participants who could not

attend.

11.Conduct an EvaluationEvaluations should be conducted throughout the program. They can be conducted

online using a web-based mentoring tool or manually using traditional paper

evaluations. Evaluations should be conducted for mentors, protgs and supervisors.Evaluating the experience for both the mentor and the protg is a critical step in

ensuring a successful program. Evaluation can aid the mentoring program by

capturing relevant information such as interaction, activity and satisfaction level. It is

also critical for supervisors to evaluate the program from their point of view. Thesupervisor can provide feedback on ways the mentoring program has improved the

employees performance and contributed to their office or unit goals. Supervisors can

also make valuable recommendations on improving the program.

The evaluation process should occur at least twice throughout the duration of the

program or agencies can conduct an annual evaluation of the program/participantresults. One evaluation should be conducted at mid-point and the other at the end of

the program. Here are some sample questions that could be included in an

evaluation:

What were the goals of the mentoring relationship? Were the goals met? How many times did the mentor/protg pair meet? What were some obstacles that prevented you from accomplishing the goals? How suitable was your mentor/protg match (possible response scale

Excellent, Good, Poor, and Not Sure)?

How supportive has your supervisor been during the mentoring program(possible response scale: Very Supportive, Somewhat Supportive, Not

Supportive, and Not Sure)?

What have you learned so far from the mentoring program?


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Is there any part of the mentoring program you would like to see improved(Yes/No)? If yes, what part?

In addition to a program evaluation, mentors can provide written reports to their

protgs on their thoughts of the program, accomplishments as a pair, and

recommendations for future interaction. Protgs could also provide a similar reportto their mentors.

There are several evaluation models agencies can use but the majority of agencies

with established formal mentoring programs use the Kirkpatrick four-level evaluation

model1. See Appendix A for details on Kirkpatricks model.

12.Conduct an End-of-Program Graduation/Recognition CeremonyAgencies with successful formal mentoring programs have a programgraduation/recognition ceremony. Senior leaders should be invited to speak on behalf

of the program. Awards, such as certificates and/or books can be presented to thementors and protgs.

1ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals (2008): Kirkpatrick, Donald L., Section VI:Measuring and Evaluating Impact.


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Other Types of Mentoring

Flash Mentoring-- is a new concept in mentoring which is growing in popularity. 13L isa leadership collective of 13 committed mid-career federal employees who have a strong

interest in issues related to leadership in the Federal Government. They haveworkedwith the National Academy of Public Administration to develop a pilot Flash Mentoringprogram for the Federal Government. It is a low budget and simple option to recruit busy

executives and other senior staff to become mentors without investing a lot of time. The

only requirement is one-hour or less of a mentors time to meet with a protg. Duringthe one-hour session, mentors can share lessons learned, life experiences and advice to

aspiring protgs. After this meeting, mentors and protgs can decide if they would liketo continue the relationship. The matching process is simple. Mentors and protgs are

matched with little or no criteria. Protgs may recruit their own mentors or a 13L staff

person can request participants resumes then match them at random. Once a protg isassigned a mentor, it is the protgs responsibility to contact the mentor within an

established timeframe. After the initial meeting, the mentor and protg decide whetheror not to continue the relationship.

Some of the activities mentioned in the formal mentoring program section should be

addressed in this type of program. At a minimum, basic instructions on roles and

expectations should be given to both the mentor and protg. Follow-up after themeeting and an evaluation form should also be included in this type of program.

Group Mentoring -- is when one mentor can be teamed with several protgs who meetat the same time. As the mentor poses questions, listens and reflects he or she engages allmembers of the group into the conversation. Each one has their own experience and

insight to share and can draw their own learning from the discussion.

Peer Mentoring -- is usually a relationship with an individual within the same grade,organization, and/or job series. The purpose of peer mentoring is to support colleagues intheir professional development and growth, to facilitate mutual learning and to build a

sense of community. Peer mentoring is not hierarchical, prescriptive, judgmental or

evaluative.

Reverse Mentoring -- is the mentoring of a senior person (in terms of age, experience orposition) by a junior (in terms of age, experience or position) individual. Reverse

mentoring aims to help older, more senior people learn from the knowledge of younger

people, usually in the field of information technology, computing, and Internetcommunications. The key to success in reverse mentoring is the ability to create and

maintain an attitude of openness to the experience and dissolve the barriers of status,

power and position.

Situational Mentoring -- is the right help at the right time provided by a mentor when aprotg needs guidance and advice. It is usually short term addressing an immediatesituation but can transition to a more long-term connection.
http://13l.org/http://www.napawash.org/http://www.napawash.org/http://13l.org/


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Supervisory Mentoring -- is an inherent responsibility of leadership. The IndividualDevelopment Plan usually outlines expectations for supervisory coaching and feedback.

Most frequently, this mentoring is informal and related to day-to-day guidance about thecurrent job. As leaders, supervisors should also encourage outside mentoring

partnerships, informal and formal, and allow their employees the time to work on them.

Team Mentoring -- involves more than one mentor working with one protg or a groupof protgs. Team mentoring allows mentors to work together or separately to help the

protg reach identified developmental goals (If mentors work separately, they should

communicate regularly to share information and ideas.)

Virtual Mentoring -- uses videoconferencing, the Internet, and e-mail to mentorindividuals. This is beneficial for those who are unable to leave their workplace and forthose who live in rural or remote communities. Virtual mentoring is usually less

expensive compared to face-to-face mentoring and provides an individual with more

choices for mentors. Even with virtual mentoring, it is recommended the mentor andprotg meet face-to-face at least once.


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Appendix A: Kirkpatrick Model

One of the best known training evaluation models is Donald Kirkpatricks four levelmodel which includes:

Level 1: Reaction how the participants feel about the training or learningexperience;

Level 2: Learning was there an increase in knowledge; this level assesseswhether knowledge was learned, skills were developed or improved, and attitudes

were changed;

Level 3: Behavior application of learning and changes in behavior sincecompleting the mentoring program; and

Level 4: Results final business results occurred as a result of the mentoringprogram.

Typically, evaluation is limited to Level 1. The purpose of a Level 1 evaluation is to

measure how the participants feel about the program. The Level 1 evaluation takes placein the form of a mid or end of the program evaluation. Below are examples of howorganizations can incorporate the different levels of Kirkpatricks model into their

mentoring programs.

A Level 2 evaluation for mentoring programs consists of a self assessment before the

mentor and protg begin their mentoring relationship. The pre-self assessment could

contain questions like:

What behaviors are you intending to work on during the course of the mentoringrelationship?

What specific career objectives are you intending to focus on during the course ofthe mentoring relationship?

What specific personal objectives are you intending to focus on during the courseof the mentoring relationship?

A post-self assessment is given immediately after the participants complete the program.

Similar questions that could be asked are:

What behaviors did you intend to work on during the course of the program? Did you and your mentor/protg work on these behaviors? If so, in what

capacity?

How have these behaviors improved since the mentoring relationship began?

Are improvements in these behaviors improving job performance?

Another qualitative approach is to ask the protg (and mentor if the agency would like

both to participate) to outline what success would look like. The protgs (andmentors) vision of success could be negotiated with the supervisor, mentor and/or

protg. Once the program is completed, the participants evaluate whether the vision of

success was met and how it was met.


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2 The Level 3 evaluation questions are taken from the US Army Command and General Staff College,

Army Management Staff Colleges Civilian Education System Basic Course evaluation. This evaluation is

given to students who have completed the course 6 and 12 months after course completion.

A Level 3 evaluation could either be a follow-up survey, interviews, or focus group threeto six months after the participants complete the program. Planning for a Level 3

evaluation should begin at program development. Evaluating participants three to six

months post completion allows time for the behavior to change.

Here are some sample questions that can be used in a Level 3 evaluation:

Sample Participant Questions2:

I have more confidence in my abilities since I completed the Mentoring Program.- Strongly Agree- Agree

- Neutral

- Disagree

- Strongly Disagree

Now that I am back at my workplace, I believe the Mentoring Program providedme with the Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes to

o lead others in the execution of job responsibility and missionperformance.

- Strongly Agree- Agree

- Neutral

- Disagree- Strongly Disagree

oemploy clear, concise and effective communications.- Strongly Agree

- Agree

- Neutral


o assemble effective teams.- Strongly Agree

- Agree

- Neutral


Sample Questions for Participants Supervisors:


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3ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals (2008): Kirkpatrick, p.490.4ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals (2008): Kirkpatrick, pp.547-548

I have more confidence in the performance of the graduate after he/she completedthe Mentoring Program.

- Strongly Agree

- Agree

- Neutral


To what extent do you agree the performance of your unit has improved as aresult of your employee attending the Mentoring Program?

- Strongly Agree

- Agree- Neutral

- Disagree

- Strongly Disagree

The last type of evaluation in Kirkpatricks model is the Level 4, Results. A Level 4evaluation can not be conducted without conducting Level 1, 2, and 3 evaluations.

Results are the last to evaluate, however, this level should be considered in the planningstages. Questions including what results do we hope to achieve and what behaviors are

needed to accomplish these results3 should be included in the program roadmap.

Measures should also be identified at the planning stages. Some measures of success toinclude in a Level 4 evaluation are:

Improvement of retention rates; Increased morale; Decreased absenteeism; Improvement in overall job performance; and Increase in promotion rates.

Similar data collection methods listed in a Level 3 evaluation can also be used to collect

data in a Level 4 evaluation. This type of evaluation should be conducted at least nine totwelve months after the completion of the program. This allows for the environment to

change and results to occur.

It is helpful to have a control group to compare these measures. The control group

should consist of employees who did not participate in the program but who are

demographically similar and who work in similar work environments. Also, to the extent

possible,the control group should be isolated from the group that participated in the

program4

. Results from both groups can then be analyzed and evidence of eitherprogram effectiveness or ineffectiveness can be confidently re


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There are many resources available that discuss Kirkpatricks four level evaluation modeland other evaluation models on evaluating training programs. A few of these resources

are listed in theResources for Mentoring section.


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Resources for Mentoring

Disclaimer: These resources have been used successfully by a number of organizations and top researchers in the field.OPM does not endorse these resources. This is for informational purposes only.

Books:

Power Mentoring:How Successful Mentors And Protgs Get The Most Out Of TheirRelationships, by Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy (2005). This book provides thefundamentals for mentors and protgs who want to create a connection or improve on

the mentor/protg relationship. The book is filled with illustrative examples from themost successful mentors and protgs.

Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organizations Guide, by Lois J. Zachary (2005).This book provides organizations with the basics on setting up mentoring programs. The

book provides checklists, worksheets, and toolkits.

The Mentoring Advantage: Creating the Next Generation of Leaders, by FlorenceStone (2004). This book provides a general introduction to mentoring and its benefits to

those who are new to mentoring. This book also provides insight on the qualities to look

for in a mentor or protg and discusses existing mentoring programs including IBM andJP Morgan. You can also find useful checklists, worksheets, templates, assessment tools,

case studies, and tips to use in creating a mentoring program.

The Mentors Guide:Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, by Lois J. Zachary(2000). This book provides tools and tips for mentors and protgs to build and maintain

an effective mentoring relationship. Worksheets are provided to help mentors developtheir mentoring skills.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Starting an Effective Mentoring Program, by Norman H.Cohen (2000). This book offers practical information for organizations that are looking tostart-up and operate mentoring programs.

The Mentoring Coordinators Guide, by Linda Phillips-Jones, Ph.D.(2003). Thisguide includes detailed information on how to design, manage, and evaluate a program.

Guide topics include: Coordinator's View of Mentoring, Strategic Considerations,

Glossary of Mentoring Terms, The Formal Mentoring Process, Skills for Successful

Mentoring, Etiquette of Mentoring, Challenges in Planned Mentoring, Identifying TargetGroups and Needs, Finalizing Your Design, Communicating about the Mentoring

Initiative, Recruiting Participants, Selecting and Matching Mentors and Mentees, Role of

the Mentee's Immediate Manager, Developing Mentors and Mentees, Helping MenteesSet Compelling Goals, Evaluating a Mentoring Initiative, and Special Topics in

Mentoring (enhanced informal mentoring, distance mentoring, mentoring groups, reverse

mentoring, and cross-difference mentoring).


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The Keys to Mentoring Success, by Kathy Wentworth Drahosz (2004). This bookcontains a step-by-step approach for establishing and running a mentoring program.

ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals, edited by Elaine Biech00(2008). This handbook contains best practices in the field of learning and development.

Topics included in the handbook are needs assessment and analysis, designing anddeveloping effective learning, and measuring and evaluating impact.

Organizations:

The Mentoring Group-THE MENTORING GROUP is a division of the not-for-profitcorporation, the Coalition of Counseling Centers (CCC). CCC was founded in 1980 by

Dr. Brian Jones, Dr. Linda Phillips-Jones, and some colleagues in the San Francisco Bay

area. In the mid-80's, Brian and Linda organized THE MENTORING GROUP toprovide consulting/technical assistance, skill-based training, skill assessment,

research/evaluation, and publications related to mentoring.

Triple Creek Associates Mentoring This organization provides free resourcesincluding a monthly mentoring newsletter. The newsletter provides practical andvaluable tips to those wanting to cultivate successful mentoring relationships. The

organization offers their web-based tool, Open Mentoring which assists organizationswith matching mentors and protgs, managing the mentoring process, and measurerelationships built among customized products.

The Mentoring Connection The Mentoring Connection (TMC) is a web-based tooldesigned to assist organizations in handling the logistics of their mentoring programs.

Features include: connection of mentors and protgs to their organizations mentoringprogram on-line, assisting with the matching process, developing mentoring action plans,and tracking upcoming mentoring activities and events. The tool provides an online

evaluation process that collects information which then clarifies which parts of the

program are working and what areas need improvement. TMC also offers a monthly

newsletter on a wide variety of subject areas including work-life balance, andstrengthening the mentor/protg relationship.

The Managers Mentors, Inc The Managers Mentors, Inc (MMHA) provides a widerange of services including designing and implementing performance systems, custom

training, and implementation of a facilitated mentoring process. The organization

features Margo Murrays book,Beyond the Myths and Magic of Mentoring: How toFacilitate an Effective Mentoring Process. This book reflects Murrays experience

assisting organizations in developing facilitated mentoring and offers a practical approach

to the mentoring process utilizing mentoring as a key strategy for filling todays need for

a highly qualified and diverse workforce.

SkillSoft SkillSoft offers multi-level learning solutions through a combination of e-learning content, online information resources, flexible learning technologies, and other


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support services. SkillSoft offers a mentoring essentials courseware series fororganizations who want to develop and implement a mentoring program and for those

who want to enhance their capabilities as a mentor or protg. Mentoring courses offered

includeEffective Mentoring,Implementing an Organization-wide Mentoring Program,and e-Mentoring.

References:

Linney, B.J. (1999). Characteristics of Good Mentors. Physician Executive, 70-72.This article describes the characteristics and traits of a good mentor and gives accounts ofactual mentoring relationships (formal and informal).

Mentoring Programs in the Federal Public Service: Status and Best Practices,Government of Canada (2004). This study contains useful information on existing

mentoring programs in the Public Service of Canada and explains why these programs

are successful. The recommendations made for a successful mentoring program can

easily apply to Federal agencies interested in either establishing a new mentoringprogram or improving current mentoring programs.

Smith, W.J., Howard, J.T., Harrington K.V. (2005). Essential Formal Mentoring

Characteristics and Functions in Governmental and Non-governmentalOrganizations from the Program Administrators and Mentors Perspective. PublicPersonnel Management. 34.1, 1-28. This study examines who mentors are as well aswhat mentors do in four types of organizations (i.e., academic, business, military-armed

forces, and military academic organizations).

Sosik, J.J., & Lee, D.L. (2002). Mentoring in Organizations: A Social Judgment

Perspective for Developing Tomorrows Leaders. The Journal of Leadership Studies,8, 17-32. This paper presents a theory of mentoring that proposes effective mentorshipfundamentally depends on the mentors ability to help solve various complex socialproblems that arise in the protgs career.

Young, A.M, & Perrew P.L. (2004). An Analysis of Mentor and ProtgExpectations in Relation to Perceived Support. Journal of Managerial Issues, 16,103-126. This article describes the impact of perception and attitudes on participation

(based on general beliefs and past experiences of participants).

Kirkpatricks Learning and Training Evaluation Theory

(www.stfrancis.edu/assessment/Kirkpatrick_1.pdf). This website provides anoverview of Donald Kirkpatricks four levels of learning evaluation model.
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Best Practices Mentoring

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